Medical errors are responsible for injury in as many as 1 out of every 25 hospital patients and an estimated 48,000 to 98,000 patients die from medical errors each year. Errors in health care have been estimated to cost more than $5 million per year in a large teaching hospital, and preventable health care-related errors cost the economy from $17 to $29 billion each year. Most of the medical errors are systems- related and not attributable to individual negligence or misconduct. The key to reducing medical errors is to focus on improving the systems of delivering care and not to blame individuals.


It is with this goal that we welcome you to Safe Practices in Patient Care. This serial publication is dedicated to helping nurses caring for the critically and chronically ill to minimize medical errors by presenting clinically and evidenced-based safe practices. Safe Practices is an accredited home-study program and is underwritten by an educational grant from Covidien Nursing Care.

 

New: Overcoming Challeges to CAUTI Prevention Online Program.

 

Advisory Board

Janet Barber MSN, RN
Col. US Air Force (Ret'd)
Editor Critical Care Nursing Quarterly
Greensburg, IN

Lisa Caffery MS, RN, BC, CGRN
Epidemiology Specialist
Genesis Medical Center
Davenport, IA.

Jan Foster RN, PhD, MSN, CCRN
Chair-elect, American Association of Critical Care Nurses Certification Corporation
Houston Baptist University, TX

Peggi Guenter PhD, RN, CNSN
Managing Editor, Special Projects
American Society for Parenteral
and Enteral Nutrition,
Silver Spring, MD

Barbara J. Holtzclaw PhD, RN, FAAN
Professor Emeritus, School of Nursing
University of Texas Health Science Center
San Antonio, TX M.

Terese Verklan PhD, RNC
Assoc. Professor of Nursing
University of Texas Health Science Center
Houston, TX

Safe Practices in Patient Care is published by Saxe Healthcare Communications.
Please direct your correspondence to:
Saxe Healthcare Communications
P.O. Box 1282
Burlington, VT 05402
info@saxecommunications.com
Fax: (802) 872-7558

 

Each issue of Safe Practices in Patient Care contains a Free Continuing Education activity (CE). The costs for the CE have been funded through an educational grant provided by Covidien.